1. Life in the West and New Technology

2. Environmental Challenges in the West
Harsh winters
Little rain
Few trees
Droughts

3. Severe Weather
The Great Plains also has very severe storms.  These storms can be anything from just violent thunderstorms, hail storms, or even large scale tornadoes. 

4. In the beginning the only people out there were…
Native Americans
Railroad workers
Miners
Ranchers on cattle drivers

5. Motivations to move west
People hoping to “strike it rich!”
Plenty of land
Chance to start over

6. Coping with Life in the West
Innovations
New Technology and new inventions
Government assistance

7. New Technology and Inventions
Sod Houses
Sod was used for building houses instead of wood because of a lack of trees

8. New Technology and Inventions
Farmers and Ranchers feuded over land use
Farmers needed fenced in property to protect crops, contain livestock
Ranchers needed wide open lands to allow cattle to roam
Barbed wire fencing created which ended the “open range”

9. New Technology and Inventions
The Windmill
Power irrigation systems and pump water

10. New Technology and Inventions
The Steel Plow
Invented by John Deere in 1837 to break through the tough soil

11. Dry Farming Farming techniques used to cultivate arid (dry) land
planting drought resistant crops
Planting seeds deep using a grain drill
Conserving as much moisture as possible in the soil

12. Hybridization
Cross breeding of crop plants which allows tougher crops to grow and greater yields from crops

13. New Technology and Inventions
Mechanical Reaper
Cyrus McCormick 1834

14. Mechanical Threshing Machine

15. The machines were combined together in the modern…

16. Government Assistance
The Homestead Act 1862
160 acres for a $10 fee
The Morrill Act 1862
Established agricultural and technical colleges across the country (land grant colleges)

17. Department of Agriculture
Created to provide farmers with information and improved farming practices

18. Difficulties Remain… The elements and the environment
The amount of work
Isolation